Car truck



Jan. 20, 1948. R. B. coTTRELL CAR TRUCK Filed April 21, 1944 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 my mw O v y@ 1D l .hn- 20, 1948. R, B, cQTTRELL 2,434,838

GAR nucx l Filed April 21, 1944` z sheets-sheet 2 E 74: 77 7.4 (L5/@4 o '5 56 IN VENT OR.

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Patented Jan. 20, 1948 CAR TRUCK Robert B. Cottrell, Chicago, Ill., assigner to American Steel Foundries, Chicago, Ill., a corporation of.' New Jersey Application April 21, 1944, Serial No. 532,039

31 Claims.

My invention relates to railway car trucks and more particularly to a novel snubbing and squaring means for the truck bolster.

The general object of my invention is to provide friction means for `dampening vertical oscillations of the bolster and its supporting springs, said friction means including resilient means for yieldingly resisting out-of-square as well as longitudinal and lateral movements of the bolster, with respect to the side frame.

A specific object of my invention is to design aftruck such as above-described, in which a pair of friction shoes are mounted on the bolster at each side thereof in frictional engagement with the adjacent side frame column, said shoes being actuated by a pair of diagonally arranged springs housed in the bolster and converging toward their inner extremities.

My invention comprehends a bolster of novel form comprising a pair of spring pockets at each side thereof converging toward the longitudinal center line thereof, said bolster including means for interlocking engagement with associated friction shoes.

My invention also comprehends a friction shoe of novel form comprising a V-shaped main friction wall having a spring seat on the rear surface thereof and top and bottom flanges at each end thereof, said flanges being formed respectively with upwardly and downwardly extending assembly lugs, by means of which the shoe is linked to the bolster during assembly and disassembly thereof with respect to the side frame.

In the drawings,

Figure 1 is a fragmentary side elevation of a' vrailway car truck embodying my invention, with the friction shoes eliminated in the right half of this figure and the associated column broken away in order, more clearly to show the bolster structure.

Figure 2 is a fragmentary top plan view of the truck shown in Figure 1, with the side frame illustrated in section through the columns thereof, and portions of the bolster and friction shoes being shown in section in the right half of this figure.

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken in the transverse vertical plane indicated by the line 3--3 of Figure 1, with the bolster and associated friction shoes shown in elevation.

Figure 4 is a sectional view taken in the plane indicated by the line 4--4 of Figure2.

Figures 5 to 7 inclusive illustrate in detail one of my novel friction shoes, Figure 5 being an elevational view` taken from the bolster-engaging face thereof, Figure 6 being a top plan View, and Figure 'I being an elevational view taken from the column-engaging face thereof.

Figure 8 is a fragmentary top plan view of the bolster and one of thel associated friction shoes illustrating the manner in which the shoe and bolster are interlocked preparatory to assembly thereof with the side frame.

Describing my invention in detail, the side frame comprises the compression member 2, the tension member 4 and spaced columns 6, 6, deiining therewith a bolster opening 8 and spaced window openings I0, IIJ. said bolster opening having a widened upper portion I2 fora purpose hereinafter described.

Beneath the bolster opening, the tension member is of box-section comprising the inboard and outboard walls I4 and I6 and the top and bottorn chords I8 and 20, as well as the longitudinal rib 22, disposed intermediate the inboard and outboard walls I4 and I6. The top chord I8 is widened and formed with the upstanding inboard and outboard flanges 24 and 26 defining a spring seat 28, upon which are positioned the bolster supporting springs 30, 30.

Each column 6, as best seen in Figure 2, comprises the transverse wall 32 and the inboard and outboard webs 34 and 36 converging toward their juncture with said wall, and a wear plate 38 is preferably welded to the wall 82 and the webs 34 and 36 to afford a convenient friction surface for engagement with the associated bolster mounted friction shoes, as hereinafter more fully described. It will be understood, however, by those skilled in the art that, if desired, the wear plate or liner 38 may be eliminated and the shoes may be directly engaged with the column.

A bolster generally designated 40 is supported on the springs 30, 30, said bolster having an end portion of box-like form, as best seen in Figure 1, with the top chord 42 thereof downwardly offset at each side of the bolster to deV ne a recess indicated at 44. Projecting from eachv side of the bolster are the inboard and outboard lugs 46 and 48 and an intermediate lug 50. The lug 46 and'the lug 50 are arcuately formed on their adjacent surfaces to define a spring pocket 52 (Figure 2), and likewise, the lugs 50 and 48 are arcuately formed on their adjacent surfacesto define a spring pocket 54, the pockets 52 and 54 converging toward their inner extremities and receiving therewithin the inboard and outboard springs 56 and 58, re-y spectively compressed between the rear walls 3 f the pockets and the inboard and outboard friction shoes generally designated 60, 60, each shoe being urged by the associated spring 55 or 58 into frictional engagement with the friction surfaces on the transverse wall 32 of the adjacent column and one of the webs 34 or 36 thoreof, as clearly seen in the right half of Figure 2.

One of the friction shoes 60, is illustrated in detail in Figures to 7 inclusive, wherein it will be seen that the shoe comprises a V-shaped main friction wall 62 having on the front thereof a V-shaped friction surface in frictional engagement with the adjacent column at 64, as above described. On the rear surface thereof the wall 62 is formed with a hollow boss 66 affording a seat as at 68 (Figure 2) for the associated spring 56 or 58. Also formed on the rear surface of the wall 62 at each end thereof are the top and bottom flanges 1U and 12, the top flanges being formed with opstanding assembly lugs 14, 14 and the bottom flanges being formed with depending assembly lugs 16, 16.

It will be understood from a comparison of Figures 1, 2, and 4 that the bolster lugs 46, 48, and 50 are received between the top and bottom flanges 1D, 10 and 12, 12 of the associated friction shoes 60, 60, whereby the latter are interlocked with the bolster against relative vertical.

movements with respect thereto. Thus` as the bolster oscillates on the springs 30, 36, friction is developed by the shoes 60, 60 against the col-- umns 6, 6 at 64, 64, whereby the oscillations of the springs 30, 30 are dampened, and it will also be understood that the arrangement above-described is such that out-of-square or lateral movements of the bolster with respect to the side frame are resiliently resisted by the springs 56 and 58 and to some extent frictionally resisted by the shoes 6U, 60.

Referring now to Figure 8, it will be seen that the assembly lugs 14, 14 on the top of each friction shoe 66 are so disposed as to receive therebetween an assembly lug 11, formed on the top chord 42 of the bolster within the recess 44, the lug 11 projecting laterally beyond said top chord for reception between the lugs 14, 1d, and it will be noted that the lugs 14, 14 and 11 are arcuately formed to accommodate the assembly link 18, of somewhat triangular form, which is looped over the lugs 14, 14 and 11 for the purpose of interlocking the bolster with the shoe 60, which is thereby maintained out of frictional engagement with the adjacent side frame column during assembly and disassembly of the bolster and side frame.

It may also be noted that the bolster is provided on the bottom thereof with assembly lugs 88, 8U, received between the depending assembly lugs 16, 16 of the friction shoes for the accommodation of links 18, 18 (not shown), functioning to interlock the bolster with the bottom of the friction shoes during assembly and disassembly of the truck.

It may be noted that when the links 18, 18 are assembled with the shoes and the bolster, said shoes and bolster may be inserted as a unit in the upper portion I2 of the bolster opening, which is of greater depth than that of the bolster and friction shoes, and thereafter, the unit may be lowered onto the springs 30, 30 and the links 18, 18 may be removed, whereupon the springs 56 and 58 are operable to urge the friction shoes into engagement with the columns. During a quick wheel change, the bolster and shoes may be removed as a unit from the top of the bolster opening in reverse of the procedure abovedescribed.

Thus it will be understood that I have devised a novel quick wheel change railway car truck in which the bolster thereof is provided with friction means at opposite sides for cooperation with the side frame columns to frictionally dampen oscillations of the bolster` supporting springs, and to resilientlyand frictionally resist eut-of-square and lateral movement of the bolster with respect to the side frame, longitudinal movements of the bolster with respect tothe side frame being resiliently resisted.

It is to be understood that I do not Wish to be limited by the exact embodiment of the device shown which is merely by way of illustration and not limitation as various and other forms of the device will, of course, be apparent to those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the claims.

Iclaim:

1. In a railway car truck, a side frame comprising spaced columns and an intervening bolster opening having a widened upper portion, resilient means on said frame in said opening, a bolster having an end portion supported by said resilient means, each of said columns comprising a transverse wall and inboard and outboard webs converging toward their juncture therewith, a pair of spaced friction shoes carried by each side of the bolster end portion and each presenting a V-shaped friction surface frictionally engaging the wall and one web of the adjacent column, a spring compressed between each shoe and an abutment surface on said bolster end portion,

the springs at each side of said bolster diverging toward the adjacent column, and assemby lugs on the top and bottom of said bolster end portion and said shoes respectively disposed in tongue and groove relationship, the widened upper portion of said bolster opening being of greater depth than that of said bolster and said shoes,

, whereby they may be interlocked by links interconnecting said assembly lugs and removed as a unit from said upper portion during a quick wheel change, while said resilient means remains in normal assembled relationship with the side frame.

2. In a railway car truck, a side frame comprising spaced columns and an intervening bolster opening having a widened upper portion, resilient means on said frame in said opening, a bolster having an end portion supported by said resilient means, each of said columns comprising a transverse wall and inboard and outboard webs converging toward their juncture therewith, a pair of spaced friction shoes carried by each side of the bolster end portion and each presenting a V-shaped friction surface frictionally engaging thewall and one web of the adjacent column, a spring compressed between each shoe and an abutment surface on said bolster end portion, and assembly lugs on the top and bottom of said bolster end portion and said shoes respectively disposed in tongue and groove relationship, the widened` upper portion of said bolster opening being of greater depth than that of said bolster and said shoes, whereby they may be interlocked by means associated with said assembly lugs and removed as a unit from said upper portion during a quick kwheel change, while said resilient means remains irr4 normal assembled relationship with the side frame.

3. In a railway car truck, a side frame comprising spaced columns and an'intervening bolster opening, each column having a transverse wall and spaced webs converging toward their juncture therewith, a bolster resiliently supported on said frame in said opening, a pair of spaced friction shoes interlocked with each side of said bolster and each frictionally engaging friction surfaces on thewall and one web of the adjacent column, a spring compressed between each shoe and an abutment surface on said bolster, the springs at each side of said bolster converging toward the longitudinal center line thereof, and a pair of assembly lugs projecting from the top and bottom of each shoe, eachk pair of said lugs receiving therebetween an assembly lug on said bolster.

4. In a bolster for a railway car truck, a member having a box-section end portion with the top wall thereof offset downwardly at each side thereof to define a recess in the top of said portion, three spaced lugs projecting from each side of said end portion, arcuate surfaces on the adjacent sides of said lugs dening a pair of spring pockets in each side of said end portion, top and bottom shoe actuating surfaces on each of said lugs, and assembly lugs projecting upwardly and downwardly respectively from said offset portions of said top wall and from the bottom wall of said end portion above and below each spring pocket, each of said assembly lugs projecting laterally beyond its associated wall.

5. In a bolster for a railway car truck, a member having a box-section end portion with the top wall thereof offset downwardly at each side thereof to define a recess in the top of said portion, three spaced lugs projecting from each side of said end portion, arcuate surfaces on the adjacent sides of said lugs dening a pair of spring pockets in each side of said end portion converging toward their inner extremities, top and bottom shoe actuating surfaces on each of said lugs, and assembly lugs projecting upwardly and downwardly respectively from said offset portions of said top wall and from the bottom wall of said end portion above and below each spring pocket, each of said assembly lugs projecting laterally beyond its associated wall,

6. In a railway car truck, a side frame comprising spaced columns and an intervening bolster opening, each column having a transverse wall and spaced webs converging toward their juncture therewith, a bolster resiliently supported on said frame in said opening, a pair of spaced friction shoes interlooked with each side of said bolster and each frictionally engaging friction surfaces on the wall and one web of the adjacent column, and a spring compressed between each shoe and an abutment surface on said bolster, the springs at each side of said bolster converging toward the longitudinal'center line thereof.

7. In a railway car truck, a side frame having spaced columns and an intervening bolster opening, a bolster resiliently supported on said frame in said opening, and friction means carried by said bolster and cooperating with said columns for developing friction thereagainst, said friction means comprising a pair of friction shoes interlocked with each side of the bolster, each shoe having la V-shaped friction surface frictionally engaging complementary surfaces on the adjacent column, and a spring compressed between each shoe and an abutment surface on the bolster, the springs associated with each pair of said shoes reacting thereagainst in diverging planes.

8. In a railway car truck, a side frame having spaced columns each comprising a transverse wall and spaced webs diver-ging therefrom, a bolster resiliently supported on said frame between said columns, and friction means comprising a pair of spaced friction shoes independently mounted on said bolster at each side thereof, each of said shoes engaging the wall and one web of the adjacent column, and a spring compressed between each shoe and a substantially vertical abutment surface on said bolster, thesprings associated with each pair of shoes converging toward the longitudinal center line of the bolster.

9. In a railway car truck, a side frame comprising spaced columns and ari ,intervening bolster opening," each column having a transverse wall and spaced webs converging toward their juncture therewith, a bolster resiliently supported on said frame in said opening, a pair of spaced friction shoes interlocked with each side of said bolster and each frictionally engaging angularly arranged friction surfaces on the wall and one web of the adjacent column, and a spring compressed between each shoe and an abutment surface on said bolster.

l0. In a railway car truck, a side frame having spaced columns each comprising a transverse wall and spaced webs diverging therefrom and presenting pairs of angularly arranged friction surfaces. a bolster resiliently supported on said frame between said columns, and friction means comprising a pair of spaced friction shoes indepcndently mounted on said bolster at each side thereof, each of said shoes engaging a pair of the friction surfaces on the adjacent column, and a spring compressed between each shoe and a substantially vertical abutment surface on said bolster.

ll. In a railway car truck, a frame member comprising a pair of spaced spring pockets converging toward their inner extremities, another frame member comprising a friction surface adjacent said pockets, resilient means on said lastmentioned member for supporting said first-mentioned member, and a pair of friction shoes having V-shaped friction faces in complementary frictional engagement with said surface, springs in said pockets, each of said shoes being operatively connected to said first-mentioned frame member and bearing against one of said springs.

l2. In a friction shoe, a V-shaped main friction wall having a V-shaped friction face on the front surface thereof and a boss projecting from the rear surface thereof and presenting a fiat spring seat, a pair of spaced top and bottom flanges projecting from the rear surface of said wall at each end thereof, each pair of said anges presenting opposed substantially flat bearing areas for cooperation with actuating means on an associated actuating member, and a pair of assembly lugs projecting from respective top and bottom flanges.

13. In a railway car truck, a side frame having spaced columns each comprising a transverse wall and spaced webs diverging therefrom, a bolster resiliently supported on said frame between said column, and friction means comprising a pair of spaced friction shoes independently and resiliently mounted on said bolster at each side thereof, each of said shoes engaging the wall and one web of the adjacent column along angularly arranged friction surfaces.

14. In a friction shoe, a main friction wall having a friction face on the front thereof and a boss on the rear thereof presenting a spring seat surface, a pair of spaced top and bottom flanges projecting rearwardly from said wall at each end aeeasee thereof, a pair of assembly lugs projecting up wardly from respective top iianges, and a pair of assembly lugs projecting downwardly from respective bottom flanges.

15. In a railway car truck, a side frame comprising spaced columns and an intervening bolster opening, a bolster resiliently supported from said frame in said opening, a pair of springs recessed in each side of the rbolster and converging toward their inner ends, and friction means interlocked with the bolster and mounted on said springs, each of said means having a V-shaped friction surface in frictional engagement with the adjacent column.

16. In a bolster for a railway car truck, a boxsection end portion with three spaced lugs projecting from each side thereof, arcuate surfaces on the adjacent sides of said lugs dening a pair of spaced spring pockets, and top and bottom shoe actuating surfaces on said lugs, said spring pockets converging toward their inner extremities.

17. In a railway car truck, a side frame comprising spaced columns and an intervening bolster opening, resilient means on said frame in said opening, a bolster having an end portion supported by said resilient means, each of said columns comprising a transverse wall and inboard and outboard webs converging toward their juncture therewith, a pair of spaced friction shoes carried by each side of the bolster end portion and each presenting a V-shaped friction surface frictionally engaging the wall and one web of the adjacent column, a spring compressed between each shoe and an abutment surface on said bolster end portion, the springs at each side of said bolster diverging toward the adjacent column, and assembly lugs on the top and bottom of said bolster end portion and said shoes interlocking said shoes with said bolster end portion.

18. In a bolster for a railway car truck, a boxsection end portion with three spaced lugs projecting from each side thereof, arcuate surfaces on the adjacent sides of said lugs defining a pair of spaced spring pockets, and top and bottom shoe actuating surfaces on said lugs.

19. In a one-piece bolster for a railway car truck, an end portion comprising a pair of spaced spring pockets in each side thereof, and shoe actuating surfaces on each side of said end portion at opposite sides of each pocket, said spring pockets converging toward their inner extremities.

20. In a railway car truck, a column member, a relatively movable member supported adjacent thereto, one of said members comprising a pair of spaced spring pockets converging toward their inner extremities, and the other of said members comprising a friction surface adjacent said pockets, a pair of friction shoes having V-shaped friction faces in complementary frictional engagement with said surface, a spring compressed by and between the rear wall of each pocket and the associated shoe, and a pair of assembly lugs projecting from the top and bottom of each shoe, each pair of said lugs receiving therebetween an assembly lug on said one member.

2l. In a railway car truck, a column member having a transverse wall and spaced inboard and outboard webs diverging therefrom, a, relatively movable member supported adjacent said column .A member, and a pair of friction shoes independently and resiliently mounted on `said secondmentioned member, each of said shoes having a tl-shaped friction face in complementary fric= tional engagement with the wall and one web of said column member, and apair of assembly lugs projecting from the top and bottom of each shoe, each pair of said lugs receiving therebetween an assembly lug on said second-mentioned member.

22. In a railway car truck, a column member having a transverse wall and spaced inboard and outboard webs diverging therefrom, a relatively movable member supported adjacent said column member, and a. pair of friction shoes independently and resiiiently mounted on said secondmentioned member, each of said shoes having a V-shaped friction face in complementary frictional engagement with the wall and one web of said column member.

23. In a railway car truck, a column member, a relatively movable member supported adjacent thereto, one of said members comprising a pair of spaced spring pockets converging toward their inner extremities, and the other of said members comprising a friction surface adjacent said pock ets, a pair of friction shoes having V-shaped friction faces in complementary frictional engagement with said surface, and a spring compressed by and between the rear wall of each pocket and the associated shoe,

24. In a railway car truck, a side frame comprising spaced columns and an intervening bolster opening, each column having a transverse wall and spaced webs converging toward their juncture therewith, a bolster resiliently supported on said frame in said opening, a pair of spaced friction shoes carried by each side of said bolster and each presenting a V-shaped friction surface in complementary frictional engagement with the wall and one web of the adjacent column, and resilient means between each shoe and an abutment surface on said bolster.

25. In a railway car truck, a side frame comprising 'spaced columns and an intervening bolster opening, each column having a transverse wall and spaced webs converging toward their juncture therewith, a bolster resiliently supported on said frame in said opening, a rpair of spaced friction shoes carried by each side of said bolster `and each presenting a V-shaped friction surface frictionally engaging the wall and one web of the adjacent column, and a spring compressed between each shoe and an abutment surface on said bolster, the springs at each side of said bolster diverging toward the adjacent column.

26. In a railway car truck, a column member, a relatively movable member supported adjacent thereto, one of said members comprising a pair of spaced pockets converging toward their inner extremities, and the other of said members comprising a transverse wall and spaced webs diverging therefrom and presenting a friction surface adjacent said pockets, a pair of spaced shoes having V-shaped friction surfaces in complementary frictional engagement with said surface, and resilient means housed in each pocket for urging the associated shoe into said engagement.'

27. In a railway car truck, a side frame cornprising spaced columns and an intervening bolster opening, each column having a transverse wall and inboard and outboard webs presenting spaced 'il-shaped friction surfaces, a one-piece bolster resiliently supported on said frame in said opening, a pair of spaced friction shoes carried by each side of said bolster and` having friction surf aces in complementary frictional engagement with said surfaces, and resilient means compressed between each of said shoes and an abutment surface on said bolster.

28. In a railway car truck. a side frame comprislng spaced columns each comprising a transverse wall and spaced webs diverging therefrom.

a bolster resiliently supported on said frame between said columns, and friction means comprising a pair of spaced friction shoes independently and resiliently mounted on said bolster at each side thereof, each of said shoes having a V- shaped friction surface frictionally engaging the wall and one web of the adjacent column.

29. In a railway car truck, a side frame comprising spaced columns and an intervening bolster opening, a bolster spring-supported on said frame in said opening, a pair of spaced friction members carried by each side of said bolster and each presenting friction surfaces frictionally engaging the adjacent column, resilient means housed in said bolster and operatively urging said members intol said engagement, and assembly elements on the top and bottom of said bolster and said members interlocking said members with said bolster.

30. In a railway car truck, a side frame comprising a pair of columns, a bolster resiliently supported on said frame between said columns, said bolster comprising at each side thereof inboard and outboard lugs and a lug therebetween defining spaced spring pockets, spaced inboard and outboard friction shoes each comprising top and bottom flanges, the flanges on said inboard shoe receiving therebetween said inboard and intermediate lugs and the flanges on said outboard shoe receiving therebetween said outboard and intermediate lugs for interlocking said shoes with said bolster against relative vertical movement, and springs in said pockets operably urging said shoes into frictional engagement with said columns.

31. In a railway car truck. a side frame comprising a pair of columns, a bolster resiliently supported on said frame between said columns, said bolster comprising spaced lugs at each side thereof defining inboard and outboard spring pockets, springs in said pockets, friction shoes engaged by said springs and operably urged thereby into frictional engagement with said columns, each of said shoes having top and bottoni walls receiving therebetween the lugs forming the adjacent spring pocket for interlocking said shoes with said bolster against relative vertical movement.

ROBERT B. CO'I'I'RELL.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,141,767 Camp Dec. 27, 1938 2,295,557 Cottrell Sept. 15, 1942 2,377,178 Pierce May 29, 1945 716,294 Y Shallenberger Dec. 16, 1902 972,921 Ritter Oct. 18, 1910 2,257,109 Davidson Sept. 30, 1941 2,324,267 Oelkers July 13, 1943 2.338,85? Light Jan. 11, 1944 

